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Dalton State College 2024

The mission of Dalton State College is to provide a diverse student population with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to attain affordable baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees and certificates and to reach their personal and professional goals. Through challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences, the College promotes lifelong learning, active leadership and positive contributions in Northwest Georgia and beyond.

In pursuit of that goal, Dalton State offers targeted four-year and two-year degrees and career certificate programs, along with a wide variety of activities that engage students in local community businesses and industries. Each of the College’s four schools (the School of Arts and Sciences, the Wright School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Health Professions) forges important partnerships to inspire students to be active members within their professions and communities.

Dalton State is Georgia’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and is currently only one of two such institutions in the state. When Dalton State achieved HSI designation in 2018, Hispanic/Latinx students comprised 29.2% (1,496) of the student population. That percentage has grown steadily since; by Fall 2023, Hispanic/Latinx students made up 37.3% (1,829) of the student population, and by Fall 2024, that had increased to 38.2% (1,966). In terms of other ethnicities, the percentage of white students decreased from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024. In Fall 2023, white students comprised 52.6% (2,580) of the student population, whereas in Fall 2024, white students made up 50.5% (2,595). On the other hand, the African American, multiracial, Asian, and undisclosed student populations saw very slight percentage increases from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024. The African American population increased from 4.0% (198) in Fall 2023 to 4.2% (218) in Fall 2024. The percentage of students identifying as multiracial increased from 2% (97) in Fall 2023 to 2.2% (114) in Fall 2024. The Asian student population increased from 1.9% (94) in Fall 2023 to 2.2% (111) in Fall 2024, and the percentage of students who chose not to disclose increased from 1.85% (91) in Fall 2023 to 2.3% (116) in Fall 2024. Remaining relatively static in both Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 were the percentages of American Indian/Alaska Native and Hawaiian/Pacific Island students. The American Indian/Alaska Native student population in both Fall semesters was 0.3% (14 in Fall 2023; 16 in Fall 2024), and the Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population was 0.1% (5 in Fall 2023 and 4 in Fall 2024). Most students continue to be Georgia residents—96.3% (4,726) in Fall 2023 and 96.2% (4,945) in Fall 2024. Out-of-state students comprised 2.6% (132) of the student population in Fall 2024, a slight increase from Fall 2023’s 2.5% (123), while the percentage of out of country students remained the same at 1.2% (59 in Fall 2023 and 63 in Fall 2024).

Dalton State College Demographics

Overall, Dalton State’s retention saw an impressive increase, resulting in the University System of Georgia recognizing Dalton State as achieving the highest retention rate in the state college sector. In Fall 2022, Dalton State’s retention rate was 57.9%; in Fall 2023, it increased to 67.6%. The Hispanic/Latinx retention rate alone increased from 65.7% in Fall 2022 to 70.0% in Fall 2023. White retention also increased from 51.3% in Fall 2022 to 66.2% in Fall 2023, and the African American retention rate increased from 50.0% in Fall 2022 to 56.1% in Fall 2023. The rate for multiracial increased during the same period, from 65.2% in Fall 2022 to 70.4 in Fall 2023.

As of Fall 2024, Dalton State’s student body was 63.8% (3,278) female and 36.2% (1,862) male. This is slight difference from Fall 2023, which recorded a student population that was 62.1% (3,048) female and 37.9% male (1,860).

In fall 2023, Dalton State College enrollment was 36 percent male and 64 percent femaleIn fall 2024 Dalton State College enrollment was 36 percent male and 64 percent female

Dalton State students also tend to be between the ages of 18 and 24, with the average age being 22 (Fall 2023 and Fall 2024). In Fall 2024, 72.5% (3,728) of students were of that age group, which is slightly less than Fall 2023’s 73.5% (3,607). The percentage of students aged 25 and older comprised also saw a very small decrease from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024, with those students making up 16.4% (805) of the population in Fall 2023 and 15.7% (809) in Fall 2024.

However, the percentage of students under the age of 18 in Fall 2024, which was 11.7% (603), saw an increase from the previous year when the percentage was 10.1% (496).

In fall 2023 74 percent of Dalton State College enrollment was traditional-aged, with 16 percent over the age of 25In fall 2024 72 percent of Dalton State College enrollment was traditional-aged, with 16 percent over the age of 25

Fifty-five Dalton State students, or 1.1%, were members of the military or were veterans in Fall 2023, and 87, or 1.7%, were in Fall 2024. Ninety-five, or 1.9%, were student athletes in Fall 2023, whereas 102, or 2%, were athletes the next Fall.

The percentage of students seeking Bachelor’s Degrees declined from Fall 2022 (62.4%; 2,829) to Fall 2023 (57.4%; 2,815), and it declined again in Fall 2024 (53.2%; 2,735). However, the percentage of Dalton State students seeking Associate’s Degrees increased over the past several years—from 30.4% in Fall 2022 (1,382) to 31.7% (1,558) in Fall 2023 to 34.4% (1,769) in Fall 2024. The percentage of undeclared students also increased over the past three Fall semesters. In Fall 2022, the percentage was 6.0% (267); in Fall 2023, it was 9.8% (482); and in Fall 2024, it was 11.3% (582). Career certificate students saw little change, however, comprising 1.1% of the student population in both Fall 2023 (52) and Fall 2024 (54) compared to Fall 2022’s 1.0% (47).

In fall 2023, 57 percent of Dalton State College degree seeking students were pursuing bachelors degrees, with 32 percent pursuing associate degreesIn fall 2024, 54 percent of Dalton State College degree seeking students were pursuing bachelors degrees, with 35 percent pursuing associate degrees

In terms of overall enrollment, Dalton State has experienced an increase over the past couple of years. In both Fall 2021 and Fall 2022, enrollment was 4,535 students. In Fall 2023, enrollment increased to 4,908, and in Fall 2024, enrollment was 5,140. This is an 4.7% increase from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024.

Full time and fall enrollment figures at Dalton State College

Likewise, full-time equivalent enrollment (FTE) has increased. FTE in Fall 2022 was 3,879; in Fall 2023 it was 4,090; and in Fall 2024 it was 4,299. This represents a 5.1% increase from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024. The percentage of full-time students, however, has decreased, from 61% (2,767) in Fall 2022 to 55.9% (2,745) in Fall 2023. Part-time enrollment (less than 12 credit hours) has also decreased in terms of percentage, though not in terms of raw numbers. In Fall 2022, part-time students made up 39% (1,767) of the student population, while in Fall 2023 it was 44.1% (2,163) and in Fall 2024 it was 42.7% (2,194).

Dalton State’s first-generation students consistently make up about half of the overall student population. In Fall 2021, the first-generation population was 49.8% (2,258) of students; in Fall 2022 it was 51.6% (2,338). In Fall 2023, Dalton State’s first-generation students were 50.4% (2,474). Accurate data for Fall 2024 is not yet available. The percentage of Pell Grant recipients was slightly more than half in Fall 2023 and Fall 2024, at 53.0% (2,603) and 53.7% (2,759), respectively, which is approximately three-to-four percent higher than in Fall 2021 (49.7%; 2,253) and Fall 2022 (49.9%; 2,262).

Dalton State’s Momentum priorities are influenced by our mission to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to attain a degree or certificate. To that end, Dalton State has incorporated StudentLingo in the first-year seminar course, called Perspectives (PRSP). StudentLingo offers a series of online student success workshops designed to assist students in the areas of academic achievement, career goal exploration, and personal wellness. Each workshop contains personalized lesson/action plans and additional resources to assist with student success. For Fall 2024, we recruited faculty to incorporate StudentLingo into other courses as well. The criminal justice program was particularly receptive, with their faculty adding StudentLingo workshops to two 2000-level courses (CRJU 2300:  Crime and Justice Studies and CRJU 2100:  Intro to Law Enforcement), three 3000-level courses (CRJU 3700:  Research Methods in Criminal Justice, CRJU 3400:  Juvenile Delinquency and Justice, and CRJU 3100:  Ethical Issues in CRJU), and one 4000-level course (CRJU 4700:  Ethical Issues in CRJU). Students in HIST 3000: The Study of History and numerous sections of POLS 1101:  American Government were also required to complete StudentLingo workshops this Fall semester. Faculty will assess the results of the completed modules at the conclusion of this semester, but we believe including such workshops in our courses, particularly those at the beginning of students’ academic careers through PRSP, will aid in students’ overall success.

The first-year seminar course, Perspectives (PRSP), is itself a priority for Dalton State. PRSP is a key component of Dalton State’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which was introduced in the 2022-2023 academic year. Since Fall 2022, all AA, AS, and bachelor’s-seeking students entering with fewer than 30 hours have been enrolled in PRSP. All PRSP students participate in similar interventions, including advising and experiential learning, and rich collegiate experiences. One way we have implemented this is through the addition to all PRSP courses of a common presentation and lab component pertaining to engagement/service-learning, accompanied by a corresponding reflection assignment assessed using a modified AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric. Another example is Dalton State’s inaugural New Student Convocation, called “First Chime,” which occurred the day before classes started in August 2024. First Chime welcomed 1,200 new first-year, transfer, and dual enrollment students to our campus. These students met with their PRSP faculty and classmates, after which they enjoyed various activities, including live music, food trucks, and a merchandise tent. The evening culminated with the lighting of the James A. Burran Bell Tower and a fireworks display. Dalton State’s PRSP course and attendant activities, like First Chime, align with Dalton State’s mission of providing opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills, while providing challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences that lead students to achieve their degrees and personal and professional goals.

In addition to PRSP, Dalton State is engaging in another persistence and retention initiative known as the Roadrunner Scholars Program. This is Dalton State’s summer bridge program, which was piloted in Summer 2024. This 6-week residential and immersive program is designed for students with a high school GPA below 3.0 and who require learning support classes. Such students are invited to apply, and those accepted live on campus and complete both MATH 0998:  Learning Support Math and ENGL 0999: Learning Support English, as well as ENGL 1101:  English Composition and MATH 1101:  Introduction to Mathematical Modeling. Scholars are also provided tutoring assistance, peer education, development opportunities, and social activities. All aspects of the program are provided at no cost through scholarships offered by the Dalton State Foundation. At the conclusion of the 2024 program, 11 of 15 students successfully passed both Math courses and 15 of 17 students successfully passed both English courses. There are plans to expand the program in Summer 2025 to include up to 36 scholars and to incorporate the first-year seminar, Perspectives (PRSP) into the program.

Another key priority for Dalton State is our Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). The Center is very focused on faculty development, encouraging faculty to develop challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences for their students as per the College’s mission. As part of this effort, CETL hosts the Roadrunner New Faculty Academy, a year-long program for new full-time faculty regardless of previous teaching experience. Participants gather monthly to discuss evidence-based teaching strategies and techniques. We currently have 11 faculty from across all four of our schools participating. While our March plan indicated that we would add a community introduction aspect to the faculty academy, that element has been put on hold as the director is presently in interim status.

Additionally, CETL has six Faculty Fellows from across our four academic schools leading initiatives in the following areas:  Inclusive Excellence, Culture & Belonging, Mental Wellbeing, Teaching Resources, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), and the Future of Higher Education. Four of the Fellows are currently leading learning communities, one is working on updating the CETL LibGuide and curating additional teaching and learning resources, and the last is leading our culture and belonging work.

Our culture and belonging work is another way in which CETL provides students with rich collegiate experiences that support persistence and retention. Our Culture & Belonging Project is being led by a CETL Fellow and the Impact of Culture on Teaching & Learning Committee. They are working to identify and describe barriers to success facing students and to seek development opportunities around these. In addition, the project is also gathering stories of students who were changed in one way or another by the connections they made with our faculty and/or staff that can be shared publicly. Another way in which we are encouraging persistence and retention through belonging is by piloting a Relentless Welcome this academic year. Dalton State’s Relentless Welcome was introduced to faculty at the August campus assembly, and an email was sent about a week later with a call to participate. Currently, 57 faculty and staff are participating.

Dalton State is also in the initiating phase of two new projects:  Common Course Components in GeorgiaView (D2L) and Support for English-language Learners in ENGL 1101. For the former, Dalton State is researching the ways faculty employ GeorgiaView as well as the ways students view their experience using it in their face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes to determine the usefulness and feasibility of creating a common course experience for students in the learning management system. The other project is related to English-language learners in ENGL 1101. This project involves researching the number of students struggling to write in English (versus their primary language) in ENGL 1101. It is also seeking to identify specific language barriers and resources barriers. The hope is to identify specific resources already in place as well as possible new resources for students and for faculty professional development that can aid English-language learners as well as all students struggling in ENGL 1101. ENGL 1101 is a first-year course and success in this class sets the tone for one’s continued success. Thus, aiding ENGL 1101 students is a priority.

Dalton State has identified fifteen comparator and aspirant institutions, which are used by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to provide comparative data between institutions. The fifteen institutions are:

  • College of Coastal Georgia (Brunswick, GA)
  • CUNY Medgar Evers College (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville, GA)
  • Gordon State College (Barnesville, GA)
  • Indiana University—Kokomo (Kokomo, IN)
  • Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, ID)
  • Missouri Southern State University (Joplin, MO)
  • Nevada State College (Henderson, NV)
  • Northwest Florida State College (Niceville, FL)
  • Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, PA)
  • Rogers State University (Claremore, OK)
  • SUNY College of Technology at Canton (Canton, NY)
  • University of Arkansas—Fort Smith (Fort Smith, AR)
  • Utah Tech University (St. George, UT)
  • West Virginia University at Parkersburg (Parkersburg, WV)

According to the NCES’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Feedback Report 2023, Dalton State’s full-time undergraduate enrollment (unduplicated headcount) was 2,906 in Fall 2022 while the comparison group’s figure was 2,642. Dalton State’s part-time undergraduate enrollment (unduplicated headcount) was also higher than the comparison group. Part-time undergraduate enrollment was 2,365 in Fall 2022, whereas the comparison’s group was 2,134. These higher numbers for Dalton State may be influenced by the College’s affordable tuition and fees, which IPEDS reported as $3,283 in 2022-2023 compared to the comparison group’s $6,225.

The demographics of Dalton State are consistent with those of an access institution with a significant proportion of first-generation college students. As mentioned, Dalton State’s first-generation population was 50.4% in Fall 2023. Many of the College’s peer and aspirant institutions have first-generation populations over 30.0%, with several at or over 50%. Thirty percent of students at Georgia Gwinnett College, 33% at Missouri Southern State University, and 38% at SUNY College of Technology are first-generation. Over a third of students at Indiana University—Kokomo also identify as first-generation. The Pennsylvania College of Technology reports nearly 47% of its students are first-generation, the University of Arkansas—Fort Smith reports 50%, and Rogers State University and Lewis-Clark State College report more than half.

Dalton State, a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), has a higher proportion of Hispanic/Latinx students than these peer and aspirant institutions. According to IPEDS, the College’s Hispanic/Latinx population was 35% of the overall student population in Fall 2022. This is considerably greater than the comparison group’s percentage, which was 9%. Dalton State’s white student population, however, was 10% smaller than the comparison group, with Dalton State’s percentage being 54% and the comparison group’s being 64%. Other races/ethnicities at Dalton State were either the same as or a smaller proportion of the comparison group’s student population. Dalton State’s percentage of Asian students, as well as the percentage of those whose race/ethnicity was not known, was the same as the comparison group at 2% each. Likewise, the percentage of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander was the same for Dalton State as for the comparison group at 0%. Dalton State’s African American population was 3% of the student population, which was half of the comparison group’s percentage of 6%. Students of two or more races were 2% at Dalton State, which was also half of the comparison group’s 4%. In terms of gender, Dalton State’s percentage of female students in Fall 2022 (61%) was nearly equal to those in the comparison group (62%).

Success Inventory

Incorporate Academic Resources into Courses in the 1st Year – Student Lingo (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Incorporate Academic Resources into Courses in the 1st Year – Student Lingo
Momentum Area: 
Mindset
Category: 
Career/Major Exploration
Mindset
Tutoring
Other/Undefined
Strategy/Project Description: 

Expand the use of Student Lingo as a course supplement/academic resource for students beyond the PRSP curriculum.

Activity Status: 
Piloting
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

The Student Lingo plan includes the following steps:

  • Make faculty (more) aware of the Student Lingo product and how they can make use of it.  
  • Faculty were recruited and asked to volunteer to incorporate Student Lingo in their courses. Faculty from criminal justice, history and political science are participating.
  • Students were provided with multiple ways to access Student Lingo through the GaView course management platform. Both faculty and students can access Student Lingo via GaView through this link: https://www.studentlingo.com/learn/sign_in?client=daltonstate...or links to specifically assigned modules were provided through course assignment links.
  • Data and feedback from the completed modules will be collected to determine usefulness, effectiveness, and whether changes should be implemented into courses and or programs. Once this information is collected and analyzed, the subcommittee will determine the utility of implementation across additional programs and disciplines.  
  • Both faculty and students will be surveyed again to ask about their feelings in relation to their use of Student Lingo and its benefits (or shortcomings) (e.g. which modules were practical for their classes, which modules they’d like to implement into their courses, etc.).
Progress and Adjustments: 

Student Lingo package contains 50 workshops covering a variety of topics. Faculty are selecting Student Lingo modules to support student learning outcomes for their respective classes. For example:

  • Students taking CRJU 3700 – Research Methods in Criminal Justice, are required to complete modules on the following topics: information literacy, understanding and avoiding plagiarism, pre-writing techniques, developing a strong thesis statement, and writing drafts, paragraphs, etc. Each of these Student Lingo modules provide tips students can use to assist with completing various activities assigned in the course (e.g. creating research questions and hypotheses, literature review, etc.).
  • Students in CRJU 3100 – Criminal Law, and CRJU 4700 – Ethical Issues in CRJU are required to complete the following modules:
    • Time Management Strategies for Success; Mindful Minutes: A Guide to Goal-Oriented Time Management; Learning Strategies Every Student Should Know; Study Tips and Note-taking Strategies; Stress Management Techniques; and Developing Critical Thinking Skills.
  • Students enrolled in CRJU 2300 – Crime and Justice Studies are required to take the modules listed above, along with the following:
    • Drafting Introductions, Body paragraphs, and conclusions.
  • Students in CRJU 2100 – Intro to Law Enforcement and CRJU 3400 – Juvenile Delinquency and Justice, are required to complete 3 modules that relate to time management, critical thinking, and academic integrity (the have the option to choose).
  • Students enrolled in POLS 1101 – American Government (sections 01H, 02H, 07H, 14H, 70H, 71H), are required to complete the following modules:
    • Information Literacy; Time management; and Avoiding Plagiarism.
  • Students in HIST 3000 – The Study of History, are required to complete the following module: Information Literacy.

Faculty will assess the results of the completed modules once fall 2024 classes end.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

The plan for the year ahead continues to be:

  • Make faculty (more) aware of the Student Lingo product and how they can make use of it.  
  • Increase the use of Student Lingo in other courses/programs, aside from PRSP courses.
  • Share with faculty the campus resources available to students that supplement the Student Lingo workshops.  
Challenges and Support: 

The major challenge continues to be faculty buy-in to get faculty to try Student Lingo as a course supplement.

Contact email: 
jwrigh11@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. James L. Wright, Assoc. Dean, School of Arts and Sciences

Quality Enhancement Plan, 2023-2028 (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Quality Enhancement Plan, 2023-2028
Momentum Area: 
Change Management
Category: 
Advising
Change Management
Course Redesign
Faculty Development
First Year Experience
Orientation
Peer and Supplemental Instruction
Tutoring
Strategy/Project Description: 

The Quality Enhancement Plan seeks continuous improvement relative to two Student Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills that develop their academic perseverance.
  2. Students will describe an enhanced sense of belonging within the College.

Interventions are planned and implemented in Perspectives (our first-year seminar), Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement (PACE).

Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Evaluation Plan and Measures:

QEP Leadership, will coordinate and collect data at various points of the year, including a biannual of plan project areas, annual administration of NSSE, and course data collected from the AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE rubric. The QEP/PACE Ambassadors and a group of volunteer faculty and staff will complete the rubric, and each will be double-scored in order to ensure inter-rater reliability.  Assessment methodology, measures, and targets may be adjusted over the course of the Plan as deemed necessary by the Institution.

KPIs:

1. Associated Competencies with PRSP course—Increase understanding of someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from their perspective.

2. Design interactions for students to understand available engagement opportunities.

3. Develop common PRSP activities (engagement with reflections)

4. Expand outreach from Student Success and Advising Center.

5. Create campus traditions for first-year students

6. Expand outreach from student resources across campus.

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

1. NSSE 2e: Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective.

2. Data from NSSE

3. Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning Rubric (AAC&U) scoring for PRSP course

4. Hire one budgeted position in the Student Success and Advising Center prior to July 1, 2024. Move two grant-funded advising positions to budgeted positions after August 1, 2024. Hire new half-time adviser.

5. Plan and implement First Chime, our new student convocation.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

1. Data is forthcoming; however, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) survey results have been received. NSSE results reflect a two-percentage point decrease in first-year students who “Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from their perspective” (2023: 72%; 2024: 70%). However, NSSE results reflected an increase in other indicator items for first-year students that are a focus of the Perspectives course core components. Indicator items reflecting an increase include:

  • “Effective Teaching Practices”
  • “Learning Strategies (alignment with campus resources)
  • “Using Learning Support Services” (alignment with campus resources)
  • “Providing opportunities to be involved socially” (alignment with engagement)
  • “Attending campus activities and events” (alignment with engagement)

2. The Modern Campus App, DSConnect, underwent a soft launch in Spring 2024 and a full rollout in the fall.

3. A common presentation and lab component pertaining to engagement/service learning has been developed. The corresponding reflection assignment has also been developed. The AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric will be marginally modified to assess the reflection.

4. The Student Success and Advising Center has hired an assistant director and transitioned one position to an adult learning coordinator. All previously grant-funded positions have been transitioned to the institutional budget.

5. Freshman Convocation, called “First Chime,” was planned and implemented, with 1,194 student check-ins. This was regarded by incoming students as part two of freshman orientation. This occurred on the eve of the start of fall classes.

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

Among the two Student Learning Outcomes, there are actions with measurable associated competencies across each area of Dalton State’s QEP, known as PACE (Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement). For example, we seek to expand outreach from the Student Success and Advising Center. One of the competencies associated with this action item is that survey data will indicate an increase in the frequency with which advisers discuss academic progress (45% of students indicate quite a bit or very much in year one and 55% in year five). There are a total of six action items, and associated competencies, that support the two student learning outcomes. Some have baseline targets with relatively incremental increases by one percentage point per year. Some targets will be established when baseline data of new strategies are collected in year one.

Time period/duration: Five years

Progress and Adjustments: 

QEP Leadership has implemented a reporting structure in which each area coordinator completes a biannual report. The results of these reports facilitate conversations and modifications surrounding the Plan and are used for further reporting to the Institution, for System initiatives, and for the Interim Report to SACSCOC.

Each focus area/meta-major now has a QEP/PACE Ambassador who serves in a leadership role for the faculty who teach Perspectives in their area. These ambassadors are charged with collaborating with other faculty to develop common elements for the focus area (i.e. conducting research in STEM). Ambassadors are led by the Senior QEP/PACE Ambassador, who focuses on campus-wide leadership of faculty teaching Perspectives.

Data collected from Advising and Campus Resources reflections through the AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric data produced no statistically significant findings. QEP Leadership assessed the issue and is moving forward with rubric calibration training in alignment with AAC&U’s recommendation.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

This year, the Institution will need to plan for additional hires in Student Success and Advising. The Center will need to conduct searches and complete and onboard new hires.

QEP Leadership, in consultation with the QEP Steering Committee and various units across campus, will need to plan the implementation of action items for Year 2:

1. Create First-year traditions, which are linked to the Perspectives course

2. Design interactions for students to understand available engagement opportunities.

3. Develop common PRSP activities (engagement/service learning with reflections)

4. Conduct VALUE Rubric calibration training, as discussed as an adjustment.

Challenges and Support: 

1. Faculty participation in a freshman convocation at a busy time of year (beginning of the semester).

2. Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding benefits and staffing of the Perspectives course.

3. Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding content and class time dedicated to presentations on advising, campus resources, and engagement.

4. Staffing presentations on advising, campus resources, and engagement/service learning.

Help tell the story of the efficacy of a freshman seminar course, especially one that has an academic subject that incorporates components that address student success.

Contact email: 
fblackbourn@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. Forrest Blackbourn, QEP Director
Dr. Brooklyn Herrera, QEP Associate Director

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Momentum Support (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Momentum Support
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Category: 
Change Management
Course Redesign
Faculty Development
High Impact Practices
Mindset
Strategy/Project Description: 
  1. Roadrunner New Faculty Academy: This is a year-long cohort program for all new full-time faculty joining Dalton State regardless of previous teaching experience. Monthly meetings focus on evidence-based teaching techniques centered on creating an inclusive and engaging classroom experience for all students. The program also encompasses mentoring and peer observations of teaching with confidential, tailored personal consultations to support new faculty in developing their teaching. Several aspects of this program work to support the needs of first-year students, including transparency in learning and teaching, holding equitable classroom discussions, classroom assessment techniques, use of teaching and learning technologies, and inclusive course design. One modification to this program that we planned for this year was to include an additional aspect of orientation to introduce our new faculty to the local area, economy, and community to allow them to understand more fully the context in which they teach. However, this part of the program has not yet been implemented because CETL currently has an interim Director and some projects have been put on hold until this temporary transition period has ended.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 grant leadership team designed several initiatives that support student success. This grant work encompasses student success initiatives like our STEM-majors events, faculty development opportunities, and curriculum development-focused work like implementing CURES into our gateway freshman STEM courses. The newest faculty development opportunity for the 2024-2025 academic year, led by one of our CETL Faculty Fellows, builds on our previous Inclusive Teaching MOOC and Community of Practice with a focus on developing and implementing practical strategies for promoting inclusive teaching in the classroom.
  3. CETL Fellows Program: Faculty fellows offer programming to support faculty and staff professional growth and development, thereby promoting student success for all students on campus. Programs include workshops, faculty learning communities, book groups, online development opportunities, and peer observations.
  4. Culture & Belonging at Dalton State. This project, currently led by a CETL Fellow and an Impact of Culture on Teaching & Learning Committee, will work to capture the stories and experiences of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni at Dalton State to explore how our culture as a community informs teaching and learning. The goal of the project is to identify and describe barriers that students face here in being successful and allow us to create development opportunities around this. In addition, we will seek out connection stories—stories of students who were changed in one way or another by the connections they made with faculty and/or staff at Dalton State. Part of the initiative to increase a sense of belonging at Dalton State includes piloting a Relentless Welcome Challenge on campus. We introduced this initiative to faculty and staff at the August campus assembly, and approximately a week later we followed up via email with a call to participate.
Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 
  1. Roadrunner New Faculty Academy:
    • Assessment of participation in academy, including participation rate
    • Assessment of faculty engagement, final reflections, and overall feedback
    • KPI: Faculty participation rate in Faculty Academy (baseline: 87% participation in 2021-2022, 100% in 2022-2023, 71.4% in 2023-2024); Ongoing assessment with yearly evaluation
    • Target: minimum of 80% participation
    • Current status: Began in August with nine participants at New Faculty Orientation, with two more faculty joining by the first session in August for a total of 11 participants.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows:
    • Number of faculty participating in HHMI-Inclusive Excellence Development Programming and reflections on the benefit. 
    • KPI: Faculty participating in HHMI programming (baseline: 19 faculty participating in HHMI programming through CETL in 2023-2024); Ongoing assessment with yearly evaluation for the remaining four years of this grant funding.
    • Target/Current Status: This program is not running in 2024-2025 as it has evolved into a Teaching Squares pilot that will run all year, and we aim to expand into next year. In teaching squares, each “square” is made up of four faculty, typically from different disciplines, who visit each other’s classes over the course of a semester and then meet to discuss what they have learned from their observations. We are also planning a repeat symposium to reassess what our faculty-centered needs and opportunities to grow are for the last three years of this funding. 
  3. CETL Fellows:
    • Year-end report detailing each Fellow’s contributions and reflections on the outcomes for faculty.
    • Year-end reflection on diversity of programming
    • KPI: Number of faculty offering faculty development programming as a CETL Fellow and number of programs offered (baseline: six fellows participating in the 2023-2024 year, covering the following areas: inclusive excellence, experiential learning, artificial intelligence, part-time faculty, and culture & belonging); Ongoing assessment with yearly evaluation.
    • Target: Six Fellows participating during the 2024-2025 academic year, offering different areas and types of faculty development programming. Faculty participation target is 10 or more unduplicated faculty participating in programming offered by fellows.
    • Current status: Six fellows were selected from applicants and began offering program beginning August 2024. All six have been involved in some capacity.
  4. Culture & Belonging:
    • Action plan for Culture & Belonging project deliverables (podcast, storytelling videos, community event)
    • Progress report towards planning, recording, releasing, and marketing content.
    • Assessment of Relentless Welcome pilot, including participation rate
    • KPI: Action plan developed by December 2024 and at least one deliverable by May 2024 (baseline: formation of Impact of Culture on Teaching & Learning Committee, fellowship, development of a plan for capturing culture and belonging at Dalton State); Evaluation at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
    • Target: Action plan with detailed goals for deliverables going into spring 2025
    • Current status: The Impact of Culture committee has held one meeting in the fall with plans to meet at least once more before the end of the semester. Progress on that project thus far has been slow, but we did successfully launch a pilot version of the Relentless Welcome Challenge this fall with 57 faculty and staff participating.
Progress and Adjustments: 
  1. Roadrunner New Faculty Academy: We have a total of 11 new faculty members from across all four schools participating in this year’s academy. While we are only three sessions in, the engagement so far has been excellent with a 73% or higher attendance rate at each of the three sessions. The community introduction aspect of the program that was to be added this year is on hold while the director is in an interim status.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant: This program is not running in 2024-2025 as it has evolved into a Teaching Squares pilot that will run all year, and we aim to expand into next year. In teaching squares, each “square” is made up of four faculty, typically from different disciplines, who visit each other’s classes over the course of a semester and then meet to discuss what they have learned from their observations. We are also planning a repeat symposium to reassess what our faculty-centered needs and opportunities to grow are for the last three years of this funding. 
  3. CETL Fellows: We have six Faculty Fellows contributing to CETL initiatives this year with topics in the following areas: Inclusive Excellence, Culture & Belonging, Mental Wellbeing, Teaching Resources, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (S0TL), and the Future of Higher Education. Four of the Fellows are currently leading learning communities, one is working on updating the CETL LibGuide and curating additional teaching and learning resources, and the last is leading the culture & belonging work as described below.
  4. Culture & Belonging: The Impact of Culture Committee has met once so far this fall and plan to meet again in November. Based on discussions in the last meeting, a few changes to the original project plans have been made and the timeline for deliverables was pushed back slightly to reflect these changes.
Plan for the Year Ahead: 
  1. Roadrunner New Faculty Academy: We have one more session this fall with five sessions coming up in the spring. In addition to monthly sessions, the director (and/or one of the assistant directors) will be visiting classes to conduct classroom observations and offering individual consultations.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant: This program has evolved into a Teaching Squares pilot that will run all year, and we aim to expand into next year. In teaching squares, each “square” is made up of four faculty, typically from different disciplines, who visit each other’s classes over the course of a semester and then meet to discuss what they have learned from their observations. We are also planning a repeat symposium to reassess what our faculty-centered needs and opportunities to grow are for the last three years of this funding. 
  3. CETL Fellows: Each of the Fellows are continuing to plan events and programs through the end of fall and spring. Tentative plans for the spring include guest speakers/workshops, new book groups/learning communities, continuations of the SoTL and Inclusive Teaching groups, etc.
  4. Culture & Belonging: We hope to finalize plans for a spring implementation of the Culture & Belonging project, and we will continue developing and improving on the Relentless Welcome initiative that was piloted this fall.
Challenges and Support: 

The biggest challenge so far, which is an ongoing challenge, is with follow-through. We have six CETL Fellows this year, but they are not all contributing at the same level. We don’t often have difficulty finding interested faculty to serve as Fellows each year, and we are grateful for their efforts because we would not be a Center without them, but we continue to have one or two each year who struggle to meet the expectations of a Fellow, especially when course loads and other standard job duties take precedence. Because this has been a consistent challenge, something we can do to try to improve this is to re-evaluate our recruitment process to ensure the expectations are clear before faculty submit applications, as well as make sure that we are providing the appropriate support throughout the semester.\

A challenge that we may face while working on the Culture & Belonging project is not having the appropriate resources or technology to carry out all aspects of the plan. However, we will reach out to the campus community when a need arises because it is likely that most, if not all, needs can be fulfilled by sharing resources.

Contact email: 
abriganti@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. Alicia Briganti, Interim CETL Director

Common Course Components in GeorgiaVIEW (D2L) (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Common Course Components in GeorgiaVIEW (D2L)
Momentum Area: 
Change Management
Category: 
Change Management
Faculty Development
Other/Undefined
Strategy/Project Description: 

Research the ways faculty employ GeorgiaVIEW as well as the ways students view their experience using it in their face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes to determine the usefulness and feasibility of creating a common course experience for students in the learning management system.

Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

The project lead in coordination with a working group will conduct surveys to obtain information from faculty and students about their LMS use and experience. At the present time, the working group consists of Sarah Mergel, Jennifer Randall, Alicia Briganti, Chuck Fink, and Jaime Parker. The members of the committee represent different departments on campus, plus include a representative from CETL, the Faculty Senate, and a department chair.

 

We have not identified any specific KPIs have not been identified because the college is still in the studying phase. However, creation of the survey will be indicators that this project is advancing. The project has no baseline measures because the college has not previously studied student, faculty, and staff use of GeorgiaVIEW. At the present time, we have little to no information on exactly how faculty use the LMS in their courses and how student perceive the experience of working in the LMS for their courses. The goal for this academic year was to create and administer the survey as well as study the results.

Progress and Adjustments: 

The study of common course elements in GeorgiaVIEW is a new initiative for Dalton State College in this year’s momentum plan. As such, we have not accomplished anything specific and have nothing to change. Below, we address what we are doing this year to study the issue.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

As of October 2024, the working group has drafted a survey which includes questions for members of the campus community on their experiences using GeorgiaVIEW. The group hopes to release the survey no later than November 1, 2024 and leave it open until the end of the Fall 2024 semester.

  • The student survey contains questions about completed credit hours, types of courses completed (traditional, hybrid, or online), comfort using the LMS, satisfaction with the LMS, frequency and type of use, and open-ended questions.
  • The faculty survey contains questions about types of courses taught (traditional, hybrid, or online), perceptions of comfort and ease of use with the LMS, most commonly used features, and open-ended questions. Faculty can also navigate to the student survey if they have ever taken a course using GeorgiaVIEW.
  • The staff survey combines questions from the student and faculty surveys because we have staff who have been students and have taught courses.

In January 2025, the working group will study the data to make recommendations to the administration and the Faculty Senate about the usefulness and feasibility of creating a common course experience for students in the learning management system. Pending feedback from the administration and the Faculty Senate the committee will consider, if necessary, what common course elements might look like at Dalton State.

Challenges and Support: 

With any attempt to survey the campus community, we might struggle with getting enough survey responses to draw any conclusions. Additionally, if the college decides the initiative is worth pursuing, gaining faculty buy-in could be a challenge. Finally, the college has one part-time staff member who serves as the GeorgiaVIEW administrator. If the college moves forward, it might need more technical support than a single person can provide.

Depending on the findings of the survey, we may need to investigate adding components to the LMS that might require technology funding. Additionally, we will likely need support to help train faculty in the best practices for using the LMS which would likely require support from the GeorgiaVIEW administrator and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Contact email: 
smergel@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. Sarah Mergel, Chair, Department of Social Sciences and History

Support for ELLs in ENGL 1101 (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Support for ELLs in ENGL 1101
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Category: 
Change Management
Other/Undefined
Strategy/Project Description: 

Research situation for English language learners (ELLs) in ENGL 1101 through the administration of surveys to students.

From this research, we may create a project to provide additional ELL support to ENGL 1101 faculty and/or students.

Activity Status: 
Studying
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

The original plan in the Momentum report stated that “The project lead will meet with faculty to create a plan. This could involve the creation of a specific committee.” A committee has since formed and includes four total faculty from the Department of English, including the project lead.

At this point, KPIs would need to be created, and the project lead will collaborate with the Office of Academic Affairs to create them given that the project is in the “Studying” phase. 

Progress and Adjustments: 

The committee has designed a survey for students in ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102. The purpose of the survey is to gauge all students’ knowledge about tutoring resources on campus and the topics with which they would like extra help, English language skills being one of the possible responses. The survey will be administered the first or second week of November.

In Fall 2023, I began asking faculty to send me a count of students who could benefit from tutoring due to language issues (ranging from basic grammar errors to problems with vocabulary to phrasing, speaking in English).

In Fall 2023, faculty reported 62 students, and in Spring 2024, they reported 27 students. This fall (Fall 2024), faculty have reported that 31 students are struggling with a variety of language struggles. In Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, I emailed faculty early in the semester, and their numbers are based on work completed in the first month of classes. I sent out a call for the numbers in September this year, and I have been getting updated numbers after students had completed a couple of essays.

For Spring 2025, I plan to reach out to faculty to send me the number of students who are struggling in mid-February, which is along the same timeline as last year. Now that I have a survey put together, I will ask faculty to have the students complete the survey the first two weeks of the semester.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

I will ask faculty to have the students complete the survey the first two weeks of the semester. I will also ask them to make sure students are aware of the tutoring service provided in the Writing Lab and Peer Tutoring, including bilingual tutoring. The Writing Lab Coordinator, Dr. Wei Cen, also has experience teaching ELL students, and I will brainstorm ideas to help ELLs with her. I will contact Nancy Avila de Welles, Dalton State’s non-clinical case manager/social worker, for any information that English faculty could handout to students.

I will also put together a questionnaire for faculty. I would like to their input on the types of resources that would be helpful for them.

Challenges and Support: 

Challenges:

  1. Communication. When professors submit Academic Alerts for ELL students (and for any student), no follow up information is provided to the professor. There could be numerous reasons for this, such as Advisors having too many advisees and not enough time and resources to follow up with faculty. Also, I need to communicate more with Peer Tutoring about the number of bilingual tutors available and then communicate that to faculty and students. (This is not a challenge, per se, simply a step that needs to become routine.)
  2. Budget and Buy-in. The Department of English should have a specific faculty member (or two) to create in-house resources and support for students and to work with Peer Education to support students. While Dr. Cen does have some experience with teaching ELLs, she is the Writing Lab Coordinator and thus has multiple responsibilities. I have tried to schedule sections (taught by Dr. Cen) of 0999/1101 for ELLs in the past, but enrollment was lacking and the sections were open to all students. A reason for lack of enrollment could be students not wanting to identify as ELL.

Support Needed:

Funding. The Department could also use funds to provide professional development to professors who regularly teach learning support courses and ENGL 1101.

We could also use an ELL coordinator who is specifically trained to help students struggling to write (and sometimes read and/or speak) in English. This individual could create resources within the department and coordinate with other departments, such as Peer Tutoring and the Dean of Students Office. Given that Dalton State is a Hispanic Serving Institution and welcomes students from numerous countries, speaking different languages, support for students whose first language is not English should be a given priority.
Kennesaw State has an English Language Program via its Writing Center (English Language Program - Writing Center) as well as an Intensive English Program (Intensive English Program – Community and Professional Education). While Dalton State is not as large as KSU, these types of programs could help all students (and as KSU advertises, faculty and staff, too). Anecdotally, I have been told of students who leave DSC to take English language courses off-campus because the college does not provide this type of Education. Perhaps this is something that could run through the Department of Communication, Performing Arts, and Foreign Language in conjunction with the Department of English. This would, of course, necessitate funding to hire the appropriate amount of qualified faculty.

Contact email: 
klallen@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. Kerri Allen, Chair, Department of English

Summer Bridge Program, aka Roadrunner Scholars (Dalton State College-2024)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Summer Bridge Program, aka Roadrunner Scholars
Momentum Area: 
Mindset
Category: 
Corequisite Learning Support
First Year Experience
High Impact Practices
Learning Communities
Mindset
Orientation
Peer and Supplemental Instruction
Transition to College
Tutoring
Strategy/Project Description: 

The Roadrunner Experience is a residential and immersive summer bridge program designed for students requiring learning support math and English.  In this six-week program, students were enrolled in both learning support math and English as well as their credit course counterparts.  Roadrunner Scholars were provided tutoring assistance, peer education, development opportunities, as well as social activities.  All aspects of the program were provided at no cost through scholarships offered by our Dalton State Foundation.  Students were invited to apply for the program based on their high school GPA and require learning support classes.

Activity Status: 
Piloting
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

In addition to the completion rates, the students were surveyed at the end of each course (math and English).   Below are some of the results for summer 2024.

For the math, 11/15 (73%) successfully passed both math courses (LS and MATH 1101). 

For English, 15/17 (88%) successfully passed English courses (LS and ENGL 1101). 

A participant survey was conducted.  Eleven participants completed the survey.   

Results of Math survey: 

  • 7/11 (64%) rated the program good or excellent. None of the participants gave a rating of poor. 
  • All participants felt the pace of the program was challenging. 
  • All respondents stated they would recommend the program. 

Results of English survey: 

  • 8/10 (80%) rated the program good or excellent. None of the participants gave a rating of poor. 
  • 5/10 (50%) felt the pace of the program was challenging. 
  • 9/10 (90%) stated they would recommend the program.  

These data will be collected with each cohort. 

Progress and Adjustments: 

The program is completed for 2024.  The program will be expanded for summer 2025 to include more scholars (up to 36) as well as our freshman seminar class (PRSP).  All classes will be offered over the entire six weeks of the program, alternating days of Math and English.   We also plan to embed a tutor and peer mentor with each class.

We have had a commitment of up to $110,000 funding from the Dalton State Foundation for this initiative.

We did not have a celebration at the end of the program.  We will include a celebration/recognition for completers moving forward.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

We will begin to invitations to apply in January will a follow-up email about two weeks later.

The program will begin the week of June 9, 2025, and will conclude on July 25, 2025

Challenges and Support: 

One potential challenge may be funding.  Our Dalton State Foundation has pledged $110,000 to support.  However, should additional funds be needed to support the expanded program, then we will need to identify a source.  Also, we will need to modify the program to meet the expanded timeline. 

Any insight from the USO or sister institutions who implement a residential summer bridge program could be helpful in further developing the program. 

 

Contact email: 
gkertulistartar@daltonstate.edu
Primary Contact: 
Dr. Gina Kertulis-Tartar, Interim Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs